Free Caged Love: MMA Contemporary Suspense (Book One) by Liberty Thunderbolt, Zac Robinson Page A

the gauntlet.”
    Now hours after the confirmation, Bear ripped open the door to Marshall’s ready to watch the Mavs take care of the Kings by at least six points and the Celtics handle the Nets by at least three. And for sure throw back a few of Marshall’s ice cold brews.
    Marshall was genuinely glad to see his old buddy. Since they stayed up all night to watch the fights in Korea, Bear had been scarce. Usually he warmed the bar with his elbows three or four times a week, but in the past two weeks he’d only sat on his stool three times.
    Marshall went straight to the tap and started filling up a cold one. He made it his mission to have a beer on the Oak bar before Bear clambered onto his seat. Nine times out of ten he made it, but this time it looked like he wouldn’t. Bear’s smile was less weary, his shoulders were thrown back, and he nodded to the other regulars with a little bit of vigor. Bear’s limp was even barely noticeable.
    Bear won, sitting down as Marshall snatched the newly poured frosty one from under the tap. He knew the beer wouldn’t be long for the world, and Bear didn’t disappoint. He accepted it and said, “Thank you my good man, down the hatch.” In two gulps the mug was empty.
    “What’s gotten into you, Bear?”
    “Remember that kid we watched, the one in the swing fight?”
    “You mean Minuteman?”
    “Yep, Maris is his name. I’ve been trying to track him down and finally got it confirmed today that he is at of all places, Whit’s gym.”
    Marshall wiped his hands on his dirty apron and shrugged. “So what?”
    “So my best client, the one who earned me six thousand in endorsements over the last few months, and two thousand bones with his win in Seoul, trains with Whit.”
    “You think you got the inside track at signing this Maris kid because of that?”
    “Hell yeah I do. How many other agents you think are even interested in the kid? I mean he’s still a rookie. And not only am I interested, but I’ve already got not one, but two fighters at the gym.”
    “Two, who’s the second?”
    “Remember, your little hottie, the one you said you wanted to rear naked choke...or was it her doing the rear naked choking?”
    Marshall slid another beer in front of his friend. “Oh yeah, Brooke Simms. You think you can hook me up with her number?”
    “In your dreams you old bastard,” Bear said.
    “Worth a shot, even a broke down bartender gets horny every now and then. Sounds like things are going good.”
    “They’ll be going better if my trip to Oklahoma next week lands a new client...and if the Mavs and Celts cover tonight.”
    “You got a little or a lot riding on them?”
    “Enough that if they don’t cover I won’t be in such a chipper mood. Can you find the Celts/Nets on the tube? They tip off right about now.”
    Bear sucked down his second brew as Marshall fumbled with the TV remote. He found the game on channel 125 and the Celtics were up six to nothing. Bear could already feel the money in his pocket.

Chapter 15
    B retten and Rodrigo headed out to face the gauntlet. The worst part was not having a clue as to what it was.
    Nobody worked the bags. The wrestling mat was empty, freshly mopped and guarded by most of the soldier grappling dummies. The rest were splayed out all over the boxing ring. Everyone waited expectantly on the other side of the ring.
    The two newbies approached and Newcomb let out another insanely intense. “Gauntlet!”
    Again the top of the old building was almost blasted off its decrepit walls. Whit stepped up and met Bretten and Rodrigo with a smile that easily rivaled a kid’s on Christmas morning, “You guys heard of the gauntlet?”
    Both men nodded. “Yeah, especially over the last twenty minutes,” Bretten said.
    Everyone laughed, and a few more screams for the gauntlet echoed through the gym.
    “A lot of fighters want to train here. Some have the balls, like all these guys. Others don’t. I got tired of wasting my time sorting